Monday, January 19, 2015

The Huahine Life

1/19/15Life continues to go well for me here on this little island. Huahine is officially starting to feel more like my home and less like a foreign and uncomfortable land. It is so fun to see people on the streets and be able to wave at them because you know them. It is fun to finally be able to converse with people because I can better speak their language. Our companionship also gets better and better as my French improves. The mission life is really starting to set in and I truly have grown to love it. It was a good week for us! Our days are always so busy and by the time we get home each night it is about all we can do to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon in Tahitian, share our testimonies, write down our miracles, plan for the next day and prepare for the night. Before my mission, I would always say that productive days are the best days. Haha I did not know what a productive day was until now. A productive day is when you have so many lessons planned that you have to reschedule or go on splits, when you do not have time to eat lunch, when you feel guilty when you are in the car and not memorizing something, when you are constantly praying for guidance and help, as well as thanking our Heavenly Father for all of the blessings and miracles He gives us daily. A productive day is a happy day full of lots of good and meaningful things. The mission life is a productive life and I am so thankful for the decision I made to serve. The languages are coming along a lot better. I now have a lot more confidence in my French and am finding success in my conversations and lessons. I can understand a lot of what is said in Tahitian. There are still the days where things are hard and I think of how much more there is to learn and how much more I need to improve, but then I remember how far I have come. I remember that life is a process and that we have the wonderful opportunity to improve each and every new day. This week I thought a lot about our message as missionaries. I was asked the question, What is your message? If we are ever posed with this question in life and only have a few minutes to explain our message . . . what would we say? I thought a lot about this and came to a conclusion that our message is Jesus Christ AND His atonement. His atonement makes this gospel possible. Through His atonement we have the opportunity to have faith in Him. We can repent and be forgiven of our sins. We can be baptized and make special covenants and if we keep these covenants, we can have the Holy Ghost with us always to guide and comfort us. And after all this, we have the chance to endure to the end. To do these things continually. To become more like our Savior each day and if we do this, one day we can achieve eternal life. The atonement of Jesus Christ is what makes all of these things possible. I also thought a lot about the Book of Mormon. I have challenged so many people to read the Book of Mormon with the things listed in Moroni chapter ten. A sincere heart, real intention, and faith. I thought a lot about the second thing. What is the real intent? This intent is the intent of coming to know our Savior Jesus Christ. On the title page of the Book of Mormon it says that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. And we are told and we teach that the Book of Mormon is another testimony of Jesus Christ. So I want to challenge all of you to read the Book of Mormon with this intent. With the intention of wanting to know Jesus Christ. As I did this, I truly did find that on almost every page of the Book of Mormon that I read there was something that testified of our Savior. This was a cool realization for me and definitely changed the way I thought about the Book of Mormon. We have three investigators that are almost ready for baptism. Their names are Heimoana, Peari, and Pauro. So if you could pray for them that would be great! Thank you so much for all of your love and support! I love you all so much! I think and pray for you daily! This church is so true! Try each day to center your lives around Christ. I hope you all have a great week! Keep enjoying each day!

Love, Soeur Heather Kofford

Haha we went fishing this morning! Caught a whopper!! Hope father Kent is proud! I did teach everyone how to tie the hook though so that was good!

Soeur Malerani finished her mission this week! Thanks for the good example!